Should "Minors" Be Allowed to Drink?

Graduate Thinker Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 525

Unknown to most people, it is actually legal in about half the U.S. for people under 21 to drink alcohol. In these states, parents are allowed to serve their children alcohol but only under supervision and only in the privacy of their home. They are not allowed to give alcohol to the kids of anyone else. However, this is illegal in just as many states as it is legal. What do you think should this be legal or illegal?

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:33 am

In other words, kids are allowed to have parties with alcoholic drinks as long as the parents participate in them Very Happy

. So in effect, I wonder if it really makes any kind of difference...

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:49 am

Something I wonder about, not totally unlike this question, is...

How much control should people be given over other autonomous people just because of birth and age? It seems like children are mostly thought of as property, which are then extended the same personal “rights” as others in our society once they reach a certain arbitrary age. I’m not totally comfortable with this paradigm.

Newbie Joined: Jul 24, 2008 Posts: 18

I don't believe parents giving their children alcohol is anything having to do with religious morality. I just think that it's wiser to have alcohol restrictions on minors because drinking an intoxicating substance takes maturity to know when you've had enough. Most minors cannot make this distinction or choose not to.

I voted no. Children should not be given alcohol. That would be dangerous and irresponsible.

Graduate Thinker Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 525

Quote:

In other words, kids are allowed to have parties with alcoholic drinks as long as the parents participate in them Very Happy . So in effect, I wonder if it really makes any kind of difference...

Not the same thing. Allowing parents to serve their children alcohol at the dinner table is not the same thing as an entire party, which would definitely be illegal.

Quote:

I don't believe parents giving their children alcohol is anything having to do with religious morality. I just think that it's wiser to have alcohol restrictions on minors because drinking an intoxicating substance takes maturity to know when you've had enough. Most minors cannot make this distinction or choose not to.

I voted no. Children should not be given alcohol. That would be dangerous and irresponsible.

To clarify, it is not my view that children of all ages should be given alcohol. Of course, a certain age limit should be set that is based on certain numbers. The people setting the law should go to the appropriate researchers in order to find this out. I did read in Time magazine that teenagers have bodies that are better equiped to handle alcohol. Also, the law would only allow parents to serve their teenagers I should say alcohol under supervision. They don't have to know how much to drink already, as the parents would be regulating this. The whole point is to teach them responsible drinking and to disassociate drinking from getting drunk so that when they go off to college, they can say no to going to parties and getting drunk.

People are probably going to ask me: "What is the point of all of these restrictions if they are unenforceable?" Well, they already are unenforceable. Parents can give alcohol to their offspring already; it just depends on whether or not they get investigated for another crime if they are ever really caught. Therefore, what is the point in having laws against this, anyway? "But what about irresponsible parents that won't discourage their kids from irresponsible drinking and even encourage it?" Well, these parents probably already do this no matter whether it is legal or not. Another point of making this legal is that if teenagers grow up with responsible drinking habits and virtues, then they might see drunkeness as stupid which might lead to a cultural mentality like France's. With passing time, these irresponsible parents may become fewer and fewer.c

Newbie Joined: Jul 24, 2008 Posts: 18

If it was under parental supervision, I would have no problem with it. Hell, my own born again parents used to let me drink wine with dinner and have an occasional beer. As long as the kids aren't out partying unsupervised and are with their parents, I see no problem with it.

But then again, who the hell would wanna drink with their parents?? Razz

Graduate Thinker Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 525

Quote:

But then again, who the hell would wanna drink with their parents?? Razz

If young people associate drinking with their parents, then they wouldn't really have an impulse to go crazy in my view.

Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:51 pm

I have no issues with parents giving children alcohol. It is how I was raised, and common back in Louisiana. Because I grew up around alcohol, it had no mystery to me, and I am responsible with it. I have alcoholics in my family, and that tempers my drinking. It has never been forbidden to me. Dad even told me to tell him what I wanted, just make sure I do all of my drinking in the house so I can stay safe.

I've had access to it literally all of my life. Dad used to let me finish off his beers, and from 1978 we have pictures of little me walking around on July 4 drinking my own beer bottle. I never felt a need to binge drink or be stupid with it. Alcohol was just a normal part of life.

Newbie Joined: Jul 24, 2008 Posts: 18

Cygnus wrote:

Quote:

But then again, who the hell would wanna drink with their parents?? Razz

If young people associate drinking with their parents, then they wouldn't really have an impulse to go crazy in my view.

This is true. Good point.

However that never happened in my case. I was freely allowed to drink alcohol in moderation with my family and still managed to spend my entire college career blitzed out of my mind. Very Happy

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:45 pm

I voted 'No'. My reason is that I recall reading recent evidence that demonstrates that drinking at an early age encourages addiction. Unfortunately, I did not keep a copy of the news source. Before this I would have agreed that children should be introduced to alcohol so that they are familiar with it and do not automatically associate drinking with 'being an adult'.

I tend to feel that laws in this matter are largely irrelevant. As has been said, these laws are largely unenforceable. Good parents are good, bad bad.

Intern Joined: Oct 26, 2003 Posts: 242 Location: Arizona

I'd Vote No.Alcohol is For Adults and Not Necessary for Kids.Let kids be kids.Minors haven't developed the Judgement yet to understand the responsibility that goes with drinking.Also, I don't have any confidence in Adults to Monitor their kids drinking.Far more Harm than Good would be done.IMHO.

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:42 am

yes.
The American attitude that all things should be forbidden to children until they turn 18, at which point they automatically become fully responsible, mature, adults is unfathomable to me.

While I do think we need legal controls over sale of any intoxicant to minors, within the family where supervision is present, I see no problems with it. Teaching responsible behavior requires actually being able to engage in that behavior, as well as being able to how or whether to engage in that behavior.

Just outlawing it has never worked in my knowledge, for pretty much anything I have heard of.

Graduate Thinker Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 525

Quote:

My reason is that I recall reading recent evidence that demonstrates that drinking at an early age encourages addiction.

That actually states that that age cuts off at 15. Also, doesn't that rest on the amount of alcohol consumed? If you drink such that the effects are not felt, then no chemical addiction can follow. Which is why non-alcoholic beer and wine should be more available.

Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:22 pm

We make it illegal and we are the Country that has a problem with it. Make it legal and it is no big deal.

Just Arrived Joined: Jan 23, 2008 Posts: 5

a little known fact is that in America, children used to regularly drink beer. It was called "small beer" and had very low alcohol content.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer#Small_Beer


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